Former
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson is considering
a run for president in 2008, a move that should spark alarm among those
familiar with Thompson's calls for widespread RFID chipping of Americans.
The authors of "Spychips," Dr. Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre,
who closely monitor the RFID industry, caution that his position on the
Board of the VeriChip Corporation and his stock options in the company
make Thompson one of the most dangerous figures in American politics today.

As head of Health and Human Services, Thompson oversaw the
scandal-ridden FDA when it approved the VeriChip as a medical device.
Shortly after leaving his cabinet post, he joined the board of the VeriChip
Corporation and wasted no time in using his clout to promote the company's
glass encapsulated RFID tags. These tags are injected into human flesh
to uniquely number and identify people.

In public appearances, Thompson has suggested implanting the microchips
into Americans to link to their electronic medical records. "It's
very beneficial and it's going to be extremely helpful and it's a giant
step forward to getting what we call an electronic medical record for
all Americans," he told CBS MarketWatch in July 2005. He also suggested
implanting military personnel with the chips to replace dog tags.

Thompson's desire to run for president is not mere speculation. Media
outlets in his home state of Wisconsin, where he served four terms as
governor, have confirmed Thompson is laying the foundation for a presidential
bid. His wife Sue Ann has told reporters that the family has discussed
his candidacy and that "He should give it a try. He's got a lot of
good ideas." Thompson himself has stated, "There's no question
I'm interested."

Thompson is considered a long-shot for the Republican nomination, but
his influence shouldn't be discounted, says McIntyre. "Despite his
folksy manner, he's a savvy politician whose Washington connections run
deep, and he's got a vested interest in chipping America." She points
out that Thompson has an option on more than 150,000 shares of VeriChip
stock.

Right now those options aren't worth much. Security flaws and public
squeamishness have hurt the company's sales, resulting in losses of millions
of dollars.

"It will take a considerable shift in public perception to chip
enough Americans to turn all that red ink to black," Albrecht observes.
"It concerns us that Thompson would have a financial interest in
having people roll up their sleeves while aiming for such an influential
office."

Ironically, Thompson himself has not yet received a microchip implant
despite what must be extraordinary pressure from the VeriChip Corporation.
He made a promise to do so on national television over a year ago.

"Given the unpopularity of the VeriChip and people's concern it
could be abused, Thompson has been wise to avoid getting chipped himself,"
says Albrecht. "Getting chipped would be political suicide
for any politician. Even if he remains chip-free as we hope, the American
people should still be wary of him."

ABOUT CASPIAN

CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering)
is a grass-roots consumer group fighting retail surveillance schemes since
1999. With thousands of members in all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries
worldwide, CASPIAN seeks to educate consumers about marketing strategies
that invade their privacy and encourage privacy-conscious shopping habits
across the retail spectrum.

"Spychips" is the winner of the 2006 Lysander Spooner Award
for Advancing the Literature of Liberty and has received wide critical
acclaim. Authored by recent Harvard graduate Dr. Katherine Albrecht and
former bank examiner Liz McIntyre, the book is meticulously researched,
drawing on patent documents, corporate source materials, conference proceedings,
and firsthand interviews to paint a convincing -- and frightening -- picture
of the threat posed by RFID.

Despite its hundreds of footnotes and academic-level accuracy, the book
remains lively and readable according to critics, who have called it a
"techno-thriller" and "a masterpiece of technocriticism."

"Spychips" is now available in a newly-released paperback version
from Penguin/Plume (October 2006).

"A chilling story about an emerging future in which spychips
run amok as Big Brother and Big Shopkeeper invade our privacy in unprecedented
ways."
— Chicago Tribune

"Paints a 1984-ish picture of how corporations would like
to use RFID tags to keep tabs on you."
— The Associated Press